Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 3, 1995 TAG: 9511030091
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
The Cavaliers accomplished something few people thought possible Thursday night, handing second-ranked Florida State its first defeat in four years of ACC play, 33-28, at Scott Stadium.
Virginia, which had lost two games this season on the final play, stopped Warrick Dunn inches from the goal line as time expired and touched off a wild celebration by the crowd of 44,300.
``I felt sure we were going to lose it,'' said UVa coach George Welsh, hardly the picture of optimism in the best of times. ``I said, `Oh, my God, another one.'''
No. 24 Virginia led 33-21 after Rafael Garcia's fourth field goal of the game, with 6:57 remaining, but Florida State took only 49 seconds to go 80 yards and put itself in position to win the game with a touchdown.
Percy Ellsworth's second interception of the game did little to slow the Seminoles, who took possession for the last time at their 20-yard line with no timeouts at their disposal and 1:37 remaining.
There were only four seconds left when Florida State lined up for its last play from the UVa 6-yard line. The snap went to Dunn, who appeared to slip as he lunged toward the goal line.
Replays showed that redshirt freshmen Anthony Poindexter and Adrian Burnim fell on Dunn, whose body was closer to the goal line than the ball, which appeared to come out of his arms.
``Before the referee signaled no touchdown, it was like Michigan [an 18-17 loss] all over again,'' said UVa defensive tackle Todd White. ``We were long overdue. Fate was on our side tonight.''
The Cavaliers (7-3 overall, 6-1 ACC) entered the game as 18 1/2-point underdogs and never had beaten a team ranked any higher than No.12. Florida State (7-1, 5-2) was ranked No.1 for nine consecutive weeks before dropping behind Nebraska on Sunday after an open date.
``It was a heck ofa football game,'' said Bobby Bowden, Florida State's coach. ``I thought we'd beat them, [but] I knew it would be a heck of a struggle. That's a good football team I saw out there. They easily could be 10-0.''
Florida State had won 29 consecutive ACC games without giving up more than 26 points. The Cavaliers had more than that at the half and were in Seminoles territory throughout the second half.
All Virginia could manage was a pair of Garcia field goals after intermission, but the defense held until the closing minutes. Florida State had two first downs on its first five possessions of the second half.
``They're who won the game,'' Welsh said of his defenders. ``I know they [the Seminoles] had a lot of yards, but the bottom line was 28 points. I thought that was really an impossible task.''
Florida State has scored more than 70 points in three ACC games this season and came into the game averaging nearly 60 points and 600 yards. The Seminoles outgained the Cavaliers 546 yards to 498.
FSU quarterback Danny Kanell passed for 454 yards and three touchdowns, but was under 50 percent (32-of-67) for the first time this season. UVa quarterback Mike Groh passed for 302 yards despite the absence of his favorite receiver, Patrick Jeffers.
A showdown between the ACC's two leading rushers was no contest. Virginia junior Tiki Barber carried 31 times for 193 yards, while Dunn rushed for 54 yards on 14 attempts.
``This is probably the best feeling I've ever had in my life,'' said Barber, a junior from Roanoke who in 10 games has rushed for 1,223 yards - one shy of the school's single-season record.
Virginia took a 27-21 lead after a pulsating first half in which Florida State had 360 yards in total offense to the Cavaliers' 358.
The Seminoles did virtually all of their damage through the air, with Kanell completing 20 of 38 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns.
Virginia was a little more diversified, with Groh passing for 221 yards in the first half and Barber rushing for 111.
Barber scored the Cavaliers' first touchdown, taking an option pitch from Groh and racing 64 yards down the left sideline as UVa made it 7-7 with 6:09 remaining in the first quarter.
After the Seminoles had gone ahead 14-7, the Cavaliers tied the score again on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Groh to Barber with 13:26 remaining before halftime. It was Barber's 14th touchdown of the season.
A 35-yard Garcia field goal put the Cavaliers ahead 17-14, and the Cavaliers extended their lead to 24-14 with 3:05 left in the half on a 72-yard pass from Groh to Pete Allen.
Allen outmaneuvered FSU defensive back Samari Rolle for the ball before Rolle and safety Sean Hamlet collided at the Seminoles' 35, allowing Allen to gallop the rest of the way untouched.
Florida State needed only six plays to go 80 yards to make it 24-21, but UVa tacked on another Garcia field goal and had a chance to score again before the half following a James Farrior interception at the FSU 31.
Groh was intercepted on the next play, the second Seminoles' first-half interception inside their 10-yard line. The first resulted from a tipped ball with UVa driving at the end of the first quarter.
The Cavaliers squandered two more good opportunities in the second half. After a third Garcia field goal put UVa ahead 30-21, the Cavaliers had first down at the Seminoles' 24- and 14-yard lines on consecutive possessions.
A bad shotgun snap from back-up center Dave Gathman took the Cavaliers out of field-goal position on the first possession, and a third Seminoles interception ended the second threat.
``Offensively, we didn't convert when we had to,'' Welsh said. ``We should have had at least two more field goals, but we hung on. I thought [Dunn] was in there at the end. What was it? Two inches?
``After all that's happened to this football team this year, I think they deserved this one.''
by CNB